British Isles Bagpipes Images
This famous painting by Richard Waitt (1714) shows 'The Piper to the Laird of Grant'. A fully developed piob mor (Great Highland bagpipe) with all three drones
is shown here, albeit with the two tenor drones set into an older style fork-shaped stock. I've been told by another piper that has seen the painting first
hand, that the wood appears to be laburnam, but my guess is that it is some kind of dark fruitwood such as plum. The instrument seems to be mounted or decorated
with lead or tin inlay, and the turning style is similar to other British and Continental varieties of the same period. Judging by the appearance of a
narrow-tapered bore in the chanter, my guess is this pipe would be a bit quieter and lower in pitch than the more modern form of the instrument as we know it today.
click on image
to enlarge (63k)
A set of Scottish highland bagpipes (Thomas Glen, Edinburgh, c1850) from the Edinburgh University
Collection of Historic Musical Instruments. The wood is possibly laburnam and the mounts look like silver. I love the turnings on these pipes, and hope
to make a set like them some day.
click on image
to enlarge (37k)
This old guy was probably one of the last of a dying breed: a Scottish lowland piper. This image was
lifted from The Lowland & Border Piper's Society website.
click on image
to enlarge (24k)
This image, lifted from Chas. Fowler's The Pipers Corner website, shows a highly
developed version of the Scottish pastoral bagpipe, dubbed the "union pipe" by William Cocks. Developed by Scottish Lowland pipe-makers as the bagpipe's
answer to the popularity of 18th century chamber music and it's associated instruments, it never really caught-on. However, a modified version of
this instrument took root in Ireland and eventually became what we now know today as the uilleann bagpipe. Notice the chanter's foot-joint (extension)
typical of these bagpipes, and also the two multi-keyed regulators (possibly added at a later date).
You'll find photos and descriptions of my Northumbrian smallpipe here. To learn more about Northumbrian smallpipes visit
J.M. & B.J. Says Northumbrian Smallpipes.
You'll find photos and descriptions of my Oxford or "Home Counties" bagpipe and my Lancashire or "North Counties" bagpipe here.
This is from a poscard that I borrowed from my fellow bandmate Bruce Culbertson. It is a photo of virtuoso uileann piper Patsy Touhey, a native of Loughrea, Co.
Galway. After settling in the United States, Patsy followed the family tradition of becoming a professional piper, and had a long and successful career
on the vaudeville stage. Chief O'Niell (of the massive Irish tune collection fame) said of Touhey, "he adopted the stage as his profession...and in the
opinion of his admirers, he has no equal."
click on image
to enlarge (25k)
This is a photo that I lifted from another site (I'll give credit when I rediscover it) of Leo Rowesome, the great Irish uillean piper and pipe-maker who
inspired dozens of younger "wannabe" Irish pipers (including myself). He was noted for his extensive use of the regulators to provide a driving rhythm in the
tunes he played.
click on image
to enlarge (48k)
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Page last updated: 9/8/03
This famous painting by Richard Waitt (1714) shows 'The Piper to the Laird of Grant'. A fully developed piob mor (Great Highland bagpipe) with all three drones
is shown here, albeit with the two tenor drones set into an older style fork-shaped stock. I've been told by another piper that has seen the painting first
hand, that the wood appears to be laburnam, but my guess is that it is some kind of dark fruitwood such as plum. The instrument seems to be mounted or decorated
with lead or tin inlay, and the turning style is similar to other British and Continental varieties of the same period. Judging by the appearance of a
narrow-tapered bore in the chanter, my guess is this pipe would be a bit quieter and lower in pitch than the more modern form of the instrument as we know it today.
